The
Seattle riot of 1886 occurred on February 6–9, 1886, in
Seattle,
Washington, amidst rising
anti-Chinese sentiment caused by intense labor competition and in the context of an ongoing struggle between labor and capital in the
Western United States. The dispute arose when a mob affiliated with a local
Knights of Labor chapter formed small committees to carry out a forcible expulsion of all
Chinese from the city. Violence erupted between the Knights of Labor rioters and federal troops ordered in by President
Grover Cleveland. The incident resulted in the removal of over 200 Chinese people from Seattle and left 2 militia men and 3 rioters seriously injured.